Channing Tatum's Biggest Regret Is Turning Down A Major Guillermo Del Toro Role

Fun trivia: director Guillermo del Toro's two most recent films were a 2022 adaptation of Carlo Collodi's "Pinocchio" and a 2025 adaptation of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein." As it so happens, "Pinocchio" and "Frankenstein" were the two books most deeply beloved by the sentient android Johnny Five in the sci-fi comedy "Short Circuit 2," and the only two he read while being held in captivity. One can only posit whether or not del Toro is a "Short Circuit 2" fan, or if this is just a coincidence. 

For every film del Toro makes, there is at least one that has stalled in production. He was once slated to direct a superhero movie called "Justice League Dark," and still hasn't able to produce his H.P. Lovecraft project "At the Mountains of Madness." He was once enthused about making a film based on the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, and was once keen to remake the 1966 sci-fi film "Fantastic Voyage." He has been attached to adaptations of "The Wind in the Willows," "The List of Seven," and "The Count of Monte Cristo." Time will tell if any of these get made. 

Most vitally for this article, del Toro was also once in production on an adaptation of Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve's "Beauty and the Beast." Del Toro's version was merely going to be called "Beauty," and he had gotten as far as sifting through Hollywood, looking for actors who might be interested in the two title roles. Little is known about that stalled production, other than Channing Tatum was offered the role of the Beast. 

Tatum turned the role down, however, and del Toro seemingly got distracted with other projects. Tatum regrets that. The actor recently spoke with Vanity Fair about the state of his career, and he stated outright that he laments the day he rejected a chance to work with Guillermo del Toro. He had his reasons, of course, but Tatum now wishes he had taken up the offer. He, along with many cineastes, is a fan of del Toro's work. 

Tatum doesn't offer any details as to the nature of del Toro's "Beauty and the Beast," other than to say he was approached. This was likely around 2013, as the actor said he was approached shortly after his daughter had been born. At that time, Tatum might have been working on movies like "22 Jump Street," or "Foxcatcher." Whatever project he was working on, though, Tatum was exhausted. When the opportunity to play the Beast was presented to him, Tatum shut it down. He's regretted it ever since. He said: 

"One of the biggest mistakes of my career: Guillermo del Toro wanted to do 'Beauty and the Beast.' His version of the Beast. And I'd just had a baby, I was on a movie that was absolutely killing me, and the script wasn't totally there yet. I was just in a place in my head that I was like, 'I don't think I can do this right now.' It was the biggest mistake, because I'm the biggest Guillermo fan ever. And I think Guillermo doing 'Beauty and the Beast' would've been the sickest movie ever." 

Tatum then noted that "Beauty and the Beast" fell apart after his rejection (although not because of it). He wasn't able to return to the offer, as del Toro was likely already developing his merman drama "The Shape of Water." So far, the director and the actor haven't had a chance to work together. As of this writing, Tatum's next film, "Roofman," is due in theaters on October 10, 2025. His next known project thereafter is playing the superpowered Cajun mutant Gambit in the presumed-blockbuster "Avengers: Doomsday," scheduled for release in late December, 2026. Del Toro's "Frankenstein," meanwhile, is due to be released on October 17, 2025.